RENO - Carson High's softball team took a huge step toward the playoffs by blanking Bishop Manogue 10-0 Thursday afternoon behind the powerful performances of Lindsay Ashbaugh and Moriah Lane.
The Senators, however, lost 5-3 in the completion of Wednesday's suspended game when they were unable to score a run in their final four at-bats.
The split gives Carson an 11-7 record with three games left against South Tahoe. Manogue also is 11-7, while Fallon and Damonte Ranch are currently 11-5. Douglas leads the pack at 13-3.
Ashbaugh, the winning pitcher in both of Carson's victories in the series, allowed just two hits. Lane bashed two homers and drove in six runs.
"She (Ashbaugh) threw great," Carson coach Scott Vickrey said. "She was perfect for 3 2/3 and then they got a little bloop hit between third and short that we weren't able to get to. We're in a pretty good spot now. I'm really happy we played so well. Our defense was the best it's been in a long time.
"They (Lane's homers) were really hit. When the count got to 2 and 1 on the first one, I knew it was going to happen. Sure enough, she got all of it."
Carson built a 5--0 lead after three and Lane drove in four of those with a homer and single. She added a two-run homer in the sixth to spark a five-run sixth.
Lane and Emily Collins led the way with three hits apiece, while Lauren Knorzer added two hits. Morgan Kleine, Jocelyn Young, Megan Hein, Ashbaugh and Lisa Yamamoto all had a hit.
In the completion of the suspended game, Carson managed just three hits in the final four innings off Miners ace Megan Dortch, who relieved Kayla Batista.
Bishop Manogue, which led 4-3 entering the bottom of the fourth when weather stopped the game on Wednesday, pushed across an unearned run in the fifth which was set when Lane dropped a force-out throw at second base which would have retired Cara McCarty, who would eventually score on Ali Lovitt's infield roller.
Carson's K.C. Withrow reached base with a single in the sixth and moved to second on an illegal pitch. Kleine followed with a groundball to short, but Withrow was trapped between second and third for the second out of the inning. Collins grounded out to end the inning.
Carson threatened again in the seventh, as a single by Young, a walk to Lane and an error loaded the bases with no outs. Young was forced at the plate on Daria Leid's infield roller for the first out. Dortch fanned both Knorzer and Natalie Morrow to end the game.
"We had our opportunities," Vickrey said. "We loaded the bases in the seventh, but we couldn't come up with a hit."
Collins led Carson with two hits.